The New South Wales Championship has been won for several years by Mr. J. R. Hooper, who competed in this year's championship in London, but as he stepped out to give rising talent a chance, it was thought that the event would be more open. The result of his action was that a larger nomination was received, amongst the competitors being Messrs. G. B. Shailer, A. G. Fay, two former winners, and several debutants. Mr. Fay was defeated by one of the newcomers, but Mr. Shailer, with an average of over 14, went through the series of games undefeated, making several good breaks, including one of 120, and was, as a consequence, the New South Wales representative in the Australian Championship.
Victoria had a larger nomination than the Mother State, as the players in that section are a much more evenly-balanced lot. The winner turned up in Mr. W. Sutherland, who was rather lucky in getting victory from a couple of better players in Messrs. D. Robertson and L. Lane. This pair met in one of the early heats, and, when the latter looked a sure winner, Robertson "blew out his light" by making a rather well-played break of 148. The final winner then defeated Robertson by a narrow margin.
The locale of the Australian Championship was Sydney this year, as Melbourne had it there when Hooper defeated Luft in 1920. After seeing the excellent form of Shailer in the N.S.W. Championship, I did not give the Victorian much chance, and so it worked out, as Shailer scored 2,000 to Sutherland's 1,035. It was during the second session that the tall N.S.W, cueist widened the gap by scoring 666 to Sutherland's 347, with breaks of 95, 94, and 87. This lead gave him an almost assured victory, and it was deserved, as for the session of 666 he had the excellent average of 24.14, and for the full 2,000 averaged 17.45, which is rather better than the average of the late English Amateur Championship.
Mr. Shailer has been competing in this event for several years, and, as many of your readers are aware, is holder of the world's record amateur break of 268, made during a championship game in Sydney in 1913, on a standard table with composition balls. He is a fine, upstanding specimen of Australian manhood, with the correct stance and delivery. In his early billiard career he specialized on the losing hazard game, but of late he mixes his game, and is quite an adept at the top end, or in single shot play. On the ordinary table, in practice games, Shailer has frequently made runs exceeding the fourth and, fifth century from "the Gray method," but the 268 mentioned is his largest in public under standard conditions. It is doubtful whether Shailer will visit England in these days of high fares.
Mr. William Longworth, one of Australia's best swimmers, and an A.I.F. officer during the disturbance in France, won the Sydney Metropolitan Amateur Championship. This event is open to all bona fide amateurs who have not won a State or Metropolitan Championship —a sort of consolation stakes. The same cueist also won the N.S.W. Amateur Snooker Championship. As he is a fine, young, natural player, without very much knowledge of the finer points of billiards at present, Longworth has a future, as he is very wealthy, and it may be that his name will figure in the nomination for your championship in the coming by-and-bye.
The Victorian Amateur Snooker Championship was won by Mr. Leonard Lane, a youth who has few superiors at the coloured ball game. He was altogether too good for his opponents, and as he, like Longworth, is well-to-do, he may visit your country, where his father is well known to most of the old hands like J. P. Mannock, Stevenson, Reece, and Inman.
George Gray, who returned from the Far East a few weeks back, has again departed for the land of the Rajah, where he should pick up H. W. Stevenson. On his last trip Gray was accompanied by his wife, but on the present visit he goes alone, as the cost of travelling is so great that there is not enough in "kitty" to pay double expenses.
At the Caulfield Cup the writer ran across A. E. Williams, the Stafford professional, who some years back played Inman for the Championship. Williams recently returned from England, where he took part in a charity tournament. Asked why he did not remain in his native land, he complained that billiards were sort of cornered by "a small coterie of players in England, who did not care about allowing an outsider to poach on their preserves." I am sorry if that is so, for Williams, given the opportunity, would be a player not far removed from the first-grade in skill; while in movement and cueing he is almost a facsimile of Stevenson at his best. He was never appreciated at his cue value in England, or even Australia.